5:2 Diet Thread! Number 8, fast away fast away fast away all!

The continuing thread for those of us following either the 5:2 diet or the alternate-day fasting diet. Both are two versions of Intermittent Fasting, which you can read more about here.

The 5:2 diet was featured on Horizon in August 2012, and essentially requires you to fast for 2 non-consecutive days per week. The other 5 days, you can eat what you like. Alternate-day fasting is just how it sounds; you fast every other day. By "fasting", we mean that we keep our calorie consumption very low, around 500 calories on average, on those days.

I know a number of people lurk on this thread, as this is currently quite popular. Please just jump in and post if you're new- we won't bite. Well, maybe on a fast day. You'll find a lot of support here.

Here is a list of links to get you started with this way of eating. Please let us know if you find a new article or some other information online:

Another thread which breadandwine has started is a good resource for some of the links and tips that get lost in these big threads. In addition to sharing links, we try to condense some of our top tips for fasting there. Keep in mind, we all do this differently, so these are just tips, not rules.

frenchfancy has a recipe thread over here, please post any low-calorie recipes there so they don't get lost in these bigger threads!

Here is the link to the BBC article regarding Michael Mosley's findings, which was featured on Horizon.

Here is where I would link to the aforementioned Horizon programme, but it appears as if the BBC have finally noticed it on YouTube and have taken it down. Here is a link to the programme's page on iPlayer, which features a couple of clips, and might have updates eventually. Let us know if you find another site hosting it.

A blog post here gives some of the scientific explanation for why this way of eating helps you to not only lose weight, but improve your all-around health.

A Telegraph article which comments on the diet and gives a brief overview.

A study discussed here gives commentary specifically addressing the effect of this diet on obese people (both men and women), with regard to both health and weight loss. ("After 8 weeks of treatment, participants had an average 12.5 lbs reduction in body weight and a 4 cm decrease in waist circumference. Total fat mass declined by about 12 lbs while lean body mass remained relatively constant.) it also mentions "Plasma adiponectin, a protein hormone that is elevated in obesity and associated with heart disease, dropped by 30%. As did LDL cholesterol (25%) and triglycerides (32%).")

Important link if you are currently your ideal BMI: this appears to suggest the benefits for women at a lower BMI might not be seeing the same health benefits that are found on men at their ideal BMI.

And for those already fasting, here is a link to 100 snacks under 100 calories. We tend to favour lots of hot drinks during the day (count your milk if you use it!)

Another food link, here is a link to the BBC Good Food site, with a list of low-calorie soups.

We mentioned BMR and TDEE often. Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) quantifies the number of calories you burn in a day. This measure is best estimated by scaling your Basal Metabolic Rate to your level of activity. TDEE is critical in tailoring your nutrition plan to desired fitness goals. Here is a link to a calculator to help you figure out how many calories you should be eating in a day. (This is a new calculator to previous threads, this one seems to give me approximately the same results the last one did, but without the virus warnings on my browser!)

A BIG THANK YOU to all who have been contributing, btw. Most of us are learning this way of eating as we go along. All of the links above have been posted by others in our previous threads, and they've been very helpful. Sorry if I haven't given credit where it's due, but it was just enough of a job getting all the links re-copied and back into one post.

I've lurked before and read some previous posts. I've wanted to start this for ages but never had the oomph to go for it! Well the noro bug hit & whilst I wasn't sick - it killed my appetite and this week I've lost 7lb So I'm motivated to start.

Hope you're enjoying that 'start the weekend well' glass of white Laska .Yeah there are so many 'broken people' and people who never had the support they needed right from the start in this country (and others). So much could be be done for the nation if this WOL was part of the mainstream health/welfare etc etc system.

However while there are people like you within the system that are open to some of the benefits of some of the aspects of this WOL the more chance there is of good being done.

Gawd! I really do sound like I belong to a cult now...keep the Faith, keep the Fast .

Welcome Onlywantsone good luck on your journey, It won't be easy some of the time but will be worth it all of the time

oh oh and as I said, let me know if you find a new TDEE calculator. I've used a new one for the OP here, it seemed accurate enough (closer than the other one which said I could eat another 1k calories a day, ha ha ha) and it didn't throw malware warnings so I thought it would do for now.

No more losses this week - but not surprised I think that extra couple of pounds went on and off over the last week but it is now clearly at 22lb lost since August. Bought some nice new size 12 jeans from the charity shop yesterday -only £3 so didn't bother trying them on as I seem to be a pretty standard 12 now. They are actually a bit too loose!!!! This morning I took in some bin bags of old kids stuff to the same charity shop and threw in 4 pairs of my old size 16 jeans .

Meeting up with some old workmates tonight - most haven't seen me since I started this so I expect a few

Thought i had better check in before everyone forgets about me, lol. Thanks for the news thread Greeneggs Im still reading the thread everyday. I'm at target but still doing 4:3 as I'm too scared to drop a fast down to 5:2. Actually I'm 3lbs lower than target now so have got to do something different if i want to start maintaining. I'm sure xmas will have something to do with a pound or two going back on. Will review in January.Anyone else hit target yet? I'm lucky as i only had a stone to lose.Some great results being posted. Been nice to put a face to some names also

Thanks bro hmm I have a sneaking feeling we mightalso read the same newspaper and vote for the same party.. but sssh no politics here allowed

Welcome onlywantsone yes ive lost 20lbs since August , Cats as you can see, has lost a little more and Cyclistist is only 3/4 the man he was ! (but will behaving twice the fun this Christmas I imagine!) There's lots of us here who have done really well and others who it hasn't worked so well for, but we all agree its definitely worth a go .. and if we get the health benefits , hopefully none of us will end up in a care home... ( well not till we are well over 100 anyway ),And the by then well have our own 5:2-ers place..(and it will be VERY jolly)

Oh that glass of white earlier must have gone to my head .. I'm getting all lyrical about our bright futures .. Right I have a couple of hours till DH gets home and i can eat dinner ..think ill go wrap a present or two ..

Thanks greeneggs. Been out most of the day & I come back to a lovely new shiny thread! Had a light lunch as was meeting my mum & didn't want to disappoint her so I will only be just over 500 cal today I think but 3rd fast this week so not too fussed. Welcome all newbies.

TalkinPeace2Yes I was 9st 10lb, my target was 8st 10lb (wedding weight) This morning I was 8st 7lb. This gives me a bmi of 19.8 - I feel and amazing.just don't want to get complacent and it all go back on and more. My heaviest weight was 12st many years ago when I was 18 and I don't ever want to go back there. Just got to get my happy balance sorted now after xmas.

rachelmy heaviest was 12 stone too - see the pic of me holding DD when she was small. Must put one up of me now at 9 stone because the 2003 one (with DS) I was comparatively SO unfit. People at the gym who have known me since then comment that the combination of yoga and more yoga has given me (and anybody else willing to have a go) fab posture so I 'look' slimmer.

Interesting to hear BMIs, with all the recent "under 9stone" posts I was going to ask about heights again (under 9stone would make me a little underweight and definitely scrawny at BMI of about 17.9)....I'm now really aiming to get rid of the love handles and tummy which is probably more about exercise than continued weightloss, but in lieu of having much time or energy for the former and bearing in mind upcoming festive period, I'm sticking to 4:3 for now.

Fast day today, just had lunch today with DC, usual lentils, feta and courgette, then have an easy tin of soup for later.

Aiming for mon, weds, fri again next week, then we fly back to UK on Saturday so might do a back to back fast tO avoid eating crap plane food

Hi size10tobe I have lost about 13 lbs (ie almost a stone!) since September and I don't do any organised exercise at all (apart from running for the bus). I manage 5:2 every week - well apart from this week as too many works dos...Not a quick weight loss but it suits me (would like to lose another stone so BMI gets under 25)....

I too get annoyed if people try and say this WOE is dangerous or too fringe - grr I have never followed a 'diet' before but this is a WOE for health ...

Thanks greeneggs for keeping the thread going - didn't get the reference in the title so thanks also for the link explaining!!

Rachel I really would suggest you drop down to at least 5:2 if you are now 3lb below target and have a BMI under 20. You need this to be a long term WOL, if you drop down any lower you risk yo-yoing (IMO) . Even at 5:2 you will still lose weight (I've never done 4:3 and still lose on average 1lb per week).

I really don't want to offend anyone, but if we as a group want this to be accepted as a healthy way of eating rather than a crank diet verging on an eating disorder then we need to be sensible about our eating.

At WI this morning am down a pound so now 13lbs lost (but has taken since 22nd August). I'd never have stuck to a traditional diet this long, but I really feel this time it will stay off . LOL'd at comment on last thread (can't remember MN name - sorry) about 9 stone seeming too low- yes it is a height issue, I'm only 5 feet short tall with a BMI of 24 at the moment..

GirlWithTheMouseyHair although I am now under 9st my BMI is still in the unhealthy range at 25.3 as I'm only 4ft 11'. (I hate to think what it was when I was 11st 2' - I was too scared to calculate it then!). Still a way to go for me but for the first time it's in the right direction.